This invention pertains to the man-made fibers art and, more particularly, to the fiber finish art. In the process of manufacturing synthetic textiles it is necessary, in order to successfully prepare the yarn, to treat it with a combination lubricant/antistat system commonly referred to as a spin finish. The spin finish is generally applied immediately after extrusion of the polymer prior to drawing. Troublesome electrostatic effects in combination with detrimental frictional behavior can be encountered during subsequent processing of the polymer if an improper spin finish is employed. The lubricant portion of the said spin finish provides a balanced blend of fiber-to-metal lubricity and fiber-to-fiber cohesiveness. The antistat portion contributes electrostatic protection to the fiber. Such spin finish systems have generally been applied to the textiles as a dilute aqueous emulsion requiring incorporation of suitable emulsifiers into the spin finish system. Recently, there has been an effort on the part of textile manufactures to improve the economics of the spin finish application by moving directly to spin finish compositions which require no pre-emulsification and dilution in large quantities of solvent prior to their application to the yarn. Such an application has been termed neat finish application in the art and is especially applicable to the processing of polyester yarns. However, this has brought about the added requirement of low viscosity as a prerequisite to satisfactory application of neat finish. Recent studies indicate that the use of aqueous spin finishes in the manufacture of polyester yarn can cause serious loss in yarn physical properties especially in strength related properties.
It is the object of this invention to provide clear, stable, low viscosity neat finish formulations which can be applied directly to yarn as low viscosity concentrates.
It is another object to provide a unique finish having a hydrophobic/hydrophilic lubricant combination.